Melanie Cobabe and Dr. Martin Fujiki, Communication Disorders Teachers and speech pathologists have noted that children with Language Impairment (LI) frequently struggle in social interactions when compared with their typical peers. They have difficulty making friends, entering on-going interactions, and are often viewed negatively by others in their own age group. The purpose of this […]
SOCIAL PROBLEMS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIFIC LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENT
Michelle H. Hutchings and Dr. Martin Fujiki, Speech and Language Pathology Specific Language Impairment (SLI) is a well documented disability among many schoolaged children. Children with SLI exhibit “significant limitations in language functioning that cannot be attributed to deficits in hearing, oral structure and function, or general intelligence” (Leonard, 1987, p. 1). SLI results in […]
The Efficacy of Social Language Intervention on Children with Specific Language Impairment—A Pilot Study
Sarah Johnson Mueller and Dr. Martin Fujiki, Audiology and Speech Language Pathology In this pilot study, I investigated the efficacy of an experimental social skills intervention program for children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). As there is a limited amount of research related to the treatment of the social skills of these children, it was […]
Testing the Validity of the BYU Taiwan Mandarin Speech Materials
Briana Rae and Dr. Richard Harris, Communication Disorders Main Text This study adds to the ongoing work of creating a system capable of administering accurate speech recognition threshold (SRT) tests to non-native English speakers. The SRT test helps in determining the brain’s ability to hear and understand speech. Bedke-Slade (2006) developed a SRT word list […]
Effectiveness of Post-surgery Speech Therapy for Cleft Palate Individuals in a Third-world Country
Jennifer Halloran and Dr. David McPherson, Communication Disorders I traveled to Amman, Jordan to evaluate the effectiveness of speech therapy as a volunteer service for children undergoing cleft palate surgery through Operation Smile. Other studies have determined that speech therapy is necessary in cleft palate rehabilitation. This study examined whether therapy is or can be […]
Brain Electrophysiological Source Localization of MMN & P300 Response in Auditory Processing
Amy Ragsdale and Dr. David McPherson, Department of Communication Disorders Source localization is a tool used to identify a precise visual location within the brain which allows for interpretation of the source of the brain activity. In this research, source localization is used to provide a more accurate identification and evaluation of the neurophysiological sources that contribute to […]
Brain Electrical Source Localization of the Masking Level Difference in College Age Students
Amanda Fujiki and Dr. David McPherson, Department of Communication Disorders The term auditory processing disorder (APD) refers to a diverse collection of problems in the processing of auditory information. An individual with an APD may have hearing acuity within normal limits; that is, the middle ear (conductive) and inner ear (sensory) systems may function typically. The individual may […]
Gender Differences in the Acoustic Parameters of Contrastive Stress Production
Bryce Bristow and Dr. Shawn Nissen, Department of Communication Disorders I was able to present the following research at the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association 2012 National Conference. I made a poster and talked to professionals and researchers from across the nation. Introduction It is hoped that by increasing our understanding of gender differences in […]
Can Emotion Understanding Be Taught?: Evaluating an Intervention Protocol to Increase Emotion Understanding in Children with Language Impairment
Lucy Brimhall and Dr. Martin Fujiki, Department of Communication Disorders Specific language impairment is traditionally defined as a diagnosis referring to “children who have difficulty learning language in the absence of intellectual disability, sensory and physical deficits, severe emotional disturbances, environmental factors, and brain damage” (Kamhi, AG 1998). Recent study of the behavior of children […]
The TiLAR Project: Analyzing Unregulated and Non- Engagement Behaviors During Intervention in Children with Low Functioning Autism
Tayler Whitmer and Dr. Bonnie Brinton, Department of Communication Disorders The Therapist in the Loop: Assistive Robotics (TiLAR) project is a broad-based research study that seeks to improve joint attention in children with low-functioning autism by using a humanoid robot in concert with traditional intervention. The goal of this project was to monitor the frequency […]